Ms. Van’s pho restaurant is famous for its rich, rare-rolled pho with clear but sweet and fragrant broth.
Every morning, many people passing through O Quan Chuong street (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi) are easily attracted by the sharp, fragrant smell of burning garlic and the smell of fatty stir-fried beef emanating from Pho Van restaurant.
The shop is small, with only 7 or 8 plastic tables. Every morning, the restaurant is full, and as soon as one customer finishes eating, a new customer comes in.
The “fire dancing” pho restaurant, the broth is as clear as filtered water, owned by the owner of U70 in Hanoi
The owner of the shop is Ms. Pham Thi Bich Van (68 years old). At nearly 70 years old, Ms. Van still quickly makes pho and takes care of and reminds staff.
Ms. Van said she has been selling pho for nearly 30 years. She and her husband both love pho and often cook it at home. Later, due to their “pho addiction”, they decided to open a restaurant.
“I cook whatever the restaurant wants. I didn’t expect the restaurant to receive support from everyone. In the past, there were days when I ate 4 bowls of pho. Now, almost every day I eat pho that I cook. There are no breakfast dishes. makes me as passionate as pho,” the shop owner confided.
Mrs. Van’s restaurant has many dishes such as rare pho, rolls, rice noodles, corn… but the most popular dish is rare pho rolls. Many diners often call this “fire dancing” pho, because when stir-frying the meat, the fire catches with the cooking oil, bursting into flames, looking very beautiful.
Fresh beef is ordered by Mrs. Van every morning. “I absolutely do not accept frozen or old, poor quality goods,” she said.
Fresh meat is cut into bite-sized pieces and then quickly stir-fried over high heat, adding crushed garlic and onions. “The stir-fried meat is just cooked to ensure it retains its sweetness and does not dry out,” Ms. Van said.
“My style of pho follows the cooking style of ancient Hanoi people. In each bowl of pho, I add a little anchovy fish sauce to make the pho more delicious, fragrant, and rich.
The pho noodles I ordered were soft and absorbed the broth. Every day, the restaurant consumes 40-60kg of pho. The strange pho noodles are immediately recognized by customers,” Ms. Van said.
The pho broth was simmered by Mrs. Van for 12 – 15 hours. Unlike other restaurants, which often use grilled onions and ginger, Mrs. Van uses fresh onions and ginger. She added just enough cinnamon and star anise to keep the pot of water from being too strong.
To make a delicious bowl of pho, according to Ms. Van, it must be based on many different criteria, from broth to beef and cooking method. “Making clear broth is not difficult, but requires a specific recipe to make the water rich and sweet,” Ms. Van emphasized.
Ms. Van’s pho restaurant has prices ranging from 45,000 to 80,000 VND/bowl. Children’s bowls cost 30,000 VND/bowl.
Mr. Minh (Doi Can, Hanoi), a “regular” customer of Pho Van restaurant shared: “I worked recently, I eat Pho Van 2-3 times a week. The pho broth here is clear but very rich. , just right, not too strong, tender beef. However, the restaurant is crowded so sometimes you have to wait a little longer.”
Pho Van is open every day of the week from 6am to 12:30pm. On average, Ms. Van sells about 300-400 bowls a day, but on Sundays or holidays she can sell more. The restaurant has 5 people working at the same time to serve customers.
One thing to note when eating here is that you should tell the owner not to add MSG to fully enjoy the delicious and sweet taste of the broth.
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)